A letter from distant Fontaine, stamped with the elegant wax seal of the Opera Epiclese, was carefully delivered to the Sea Gazers Pavilion through official channels, eventually landing on the desk of the Tianquan Star, Ningguang.
Ningguang was handling affairs within the Jade Chamber. Hearing that it was a personal letter from Fontaine's iudex, she raised an eyebrow in slight surprise, her brush pausing mid-air.
While Liyue and Fontaine had always maintained friendly trade relations, a personal letter from His Excellency iudex Neuvillette—one sent not through a formal diplomatic note but marked as an "unofficial inquiry"—was quite unusual.
She set aside her scrolls, elegantly slit the seal with a letter opener, pulled out the stationery, and scanned its contents.
As her eyes swept over the steady, clear handwriting, a look of realization gradually surfaced in Ningguang's eyes—usually filled with shrewdness and composure—only to be replaced by deeper contemplation.
"A uniquely shaped, humanoid but non-human sapient being... gentle temperament... appearance may differ from ordinary people... possibly in a weak or vulnerable state needing protection... a Melusine?" Ningguang softly read the keywords from the letter.
Almost immediately, her mind flashed back to an informal report Yelan had given not long ago, where she casually mentioned a "little blue thing in the Dock Area."
"...A little fellow who always hides their face with a Hood, acting suspiciously with no registered household, but seems merely shy and timid rather than harmful. Preliminary judgment is that it should be a 'Melusine' from Fontaine."
At the time, Yelan's tone carried a hint of helplessness at being teased by "coincidence," followed by the relief of finally classifying the target as "low risk."
Ningguang, occupied with a myriad of affairs, hadn't paid much attention to such a trivial interlude, merely noting the "timid and harmless" conclusion as a bit of trivia.
Now, this letter from Fontaine's iudex—cautiously worded yet unable to hide its concern—perfectly overlapped with the observation report Yelan had filed under "low risk."
"So that's how it is..." Ningguang leaned back into her wide chair, her gaze drifting toward the bustling Liyue Harbor outside the window as her thoughts raced.
Neuvillette had clearly stated in the letter that this Melusine had a special and vital relationship with Fontaine. Though he inquired in an "unofficial" capacity, the letter itself bore the emblem of the Opera Epiclese; its weight spoke for itself.
This meant that the little fellow Yelan had judged as "just wanting to live a quiet life" held an identity and importance far higher than their initial estimates.
A Melusine who could prompt the iudex himself to intervene and use diplomatic channels (even informal ones) for an inquiry could never be just an ordinary wanderer in a foreign land.
"Gentle temperament, appearance may differ from ordinary people, possibly in a weak state..." Ningguang mulled over these descriptions, which corroborated Yelan's report of being "timid," "reclusive," and "mysterious in movements."
It seemed His Excellency Neuvillette did not fully grasp the Melusine's specific situation in Liyue and was even worried about her "health."
This was getting interesting.
Ningguang picked up the pipe beside her, took a light puff, and let the faint smoke curl around her fingertips.
How to handle this letter and how to respond to Neuvillette required careful balancing.
Should she tell him directly, "Yes, we do have such a Melusine here; she's doing quite well (aside from being a bit shy), and though she has no source of income, she has some Mora and catches her own fish to eat in the sea"?
That was clearly inappropriate.
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